Heroes Are Made
by Non Timbeo Mala
Summary: A girl with a broken heart. A man with no heart. Or so they say... Karolyn has a dark past, but a bright future. She has no family, but it's all she desires from the world. She just wants a break from all the pain. Can a certain high-functioning sociopath step up to the role? (Parent!lock fanfic)
1. Chapter 1: Viktor Carr

"Sherlock! You need to calm down." I say into the phone, leaving John's flat.

"Just get back to the flat, now." he replies.

"Okay, I'm on my way." I say. He hangs up the phone. I sigh.

Hi, I'm Karolyn. I'm 15 years old, and I've been working on cases with Sherlock Holmes for a few months now. I actually live at 221B at Baker Street; have been for a month now. He thinks I'm in danger from some guy named Viktor, who worked with an enemy named Jim Moriarty. I'm American. I'm from New York, but I was put in a foster home in London after my mom died when I was 5 and I got taken away from an abusive dad 2 years ago. They asked where I wanted to go, I said London, and now I'm here.

I'm walking towards the street, when suddenly it's dark.

3RD PERSON POV

Sherlock's phone suddenly rings.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Sherlock Holmes." someone says. Sherlock freezes.

"Who are you?" he asks.

"Oh, I feel like you already know." the man replies.

"Viktor Carr." Sherlock says.

"Very good, Holmes. Now, I've been told you have a bit of a soft spot for this girl here..." Viktor says, and Sherlock's heart almost stops. He's got Karolyn?

"What have you done with Karolyn?" he asks urgently.

"Oh nothing yet. But Sherlock, believe me, she'll be far more broken than usual once I'm finished with her. If you wanna come find her, why don't you figure it out yourself?" he asks, and the line goes dead. Sherlock thinks hard.

He was friends with Moriarty... no, he worshipped him. So he would go somewhere with relevance to Moriarty. He's starting as his own criminal...the pool. The pool where it all started.

"Viktor?" Sherlock calls in the poolhouse.

"Holmes! I didn't think you'd come!" a man says, appearing from the shadows. "She's been begging for you."

"Give her to me now." Sherlock snarls.

"Would you like to see her? How she's doing?" Sebastian asks. Sherlock stays silent. Viktor pulls a limp body from the shadows, and Sherlock recognizes the red hair immediately. "She's not dead. She had a panic attack and passed out."

Damn. Sherlock thinks. He used her panic attacks against her.

She suddenly moans, and opens her eyes. She looks at Sherlock, and the pure fear, desperation and pain in her eyes makes his heart break. But he keeps his composure.

"This is unnecessary." He says.

"Oh, it's quite necessary, Holmes. It makes sense, doesn't it? Sentiment has taken you over, hasn't it?" Viktor says.

"It's not about that, it has nothing to do with sentiment." Sherlock replies.

"It has everything to do with sentiment, Holmes!" Viktor shouts. "You care about this girl."

Karolyn thinks back. Her whole life she's wanted people to care about her. When she met Sherlock, she thought someone finally would. She thought Sherlock would. She wants to be loved, she wants Sherlock to be her family. Sure, she's very close with John and Mary. Molly's like her sister. But she lives with Sherlock. She wants him to love her. Because she loves him. She wants him to be her family. Sherlock knows it too, he's just not very good at that. But he loves her. So when he realizes what he's gonna have to say, his heart aches.

"No I don't." He says. Karolyn looks at him, but he avoids her gaze.

"Sorry?" Viktor says.

"Sentiment? Dull. This girl is merely around to help on cases, nothing more." he says.

"You're lying." Viktor says. Sherlock realizes he's really gonna have to sell it, but knows that this will kill Karolyn.

"Why would I care about some teenaged girl who can't control her emotions?" he says. "She's been in a depression for 2 years, she can't just be normal. Why would I feel sentiment towards a girl who needs to step away from cases because she is unable to handle herself? She has panic attacks because she can't calm herself down. She blames a disorder when in reality it's lack of self-control. She doesn't matter to me." he says. He looks at Karolyn, and his heart breaks at the look on her face.

Pain. Nothing but pain. Her eyes are flooded with tears. And he caused them. Viktor looks confused.

"Put a damper on your plan, I assume." Sherlock says. The police barge into the pool house, and arrest Viktor, and Sherlock rushes to Karolyn. "Karolyn, I-"

SMACK.

He looks back at her, his left cheek stinging. She slapped him.

"You bastard." she says.

"Karolyn, listen to me-"

"You made me think you cared." she says.

"Listen-"

"I wanted you to be my family." she chokes out, and he stops.

"What?" he asks, shocked.

"My mom died when I was little. My dad thought I was a human punching bag. I came to London for a fresh start. But depression's a bitch, it follows you everywhere. I never really had a proper family, Sherlock. Then I met you. I wanted you to care. Was that too much to ask?" she asks.

"No, Karolyn, I-"

"I stopped self harming 2 weeks into living with you." she says. He looks at her.

"You did?" he asks.

"3 years. 3 years I struggled with self harm. And then 2 and a half months into working with you, I moved into Baker Street. 2 weeks after that, I stopped. Just like that, I had hope." she says. "And you screwed it up." Sherlock sighs. "I can't believe I actually thought you cared. I can't believe I was that stupid." she says.

"Karolyn-"

"I hate you." she whispers, stopping him. He looks at her, and she looks up at him, and looks him dead in the eye. "I hate you, Sherlock Holmes." His heart breaks. She walks past him, towards the door, then stops, turns around, and faces him. "I thought you were a great man." she says. "I was very wrong." She says, and she walks out of the pool house.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Coming!" Molly calls, putting her robe on over her nightie. She gets to the door and pulls it open. There stands Karolyn. Her eyes are red and puffy, and there are unshed tears in them, besides the ones going down her shiny wet face. She smiles sadly.

"Hey Molly. I need somewhere to crash." she says. Molly opens her arms, and Karolyn walks in and hugs her, and starts to sob into her shoulder.

"Hello?"

"John? Is Karolyn there?" Sherlock asks.

"No, why would Karolyn be here?" John asks. Sherlock sighs into the phone. "Sherlock what's happened?"

"Viktor Carr kidnapped her last night. He wanted me to admit I cared about her, so I lied and said I didn't to be able to buy time to get her to safety. I said some things, bit harsh. She slapped me, told me off, told me she hates me, then walked out and left and hasn't been home since." he responds quickly. John sighs.

"Did these harsh things happen to beat her over the head with her depression and panic disorder?" John asks. Sherlock is silent a moment.

"Maybe." he replies. John groans.

"Sherlock!" he says.

"I had to sell it! I needed Carr to think I didn't care about her whatsoever, I needed to make it real. She might have died, John." Sherlock replies. John sighs.

"Try phoning Molly. Those two are like sisters. And she obviously wouldn't come to me, Sherlock. She knew I'd call you if she did, and she wants to avoid you. You really underestimate her sometimes, Sherlock." John says. Sherlock sighs.

"I know."

"So he just completely trashed you?" Molly asks.

"Pretty much." Karolyn replies. They're sitting on Molly's couch, drinking tea.

"So he took everything- the depression, the anxiety- and just threw it in your face?" She asks.

"It totally blew up in my face." Karolyn says. Molly sighs.

"I'm so sorry, Karolyn, I know how much you've wanted him to care." she says.

"Thanks Molly. Yeah, I wanted him to care. I wanted someone to finally love me." Karolyn says.

"I love you. Does that count?" Molly asks. Karolyn smiles a little.

KAROLYN'S POV

"Yes, Molly. That means the world to me, thanks." I reply. "But it's different. You care. John cares. Mary, Lestrade, they all care. I've got enough people in my court, I don't need Sherlock. So why the hell do I want so badly for him to care?" I say.

"Because you love him." she says. I look at her. "I mean it makes sense, with the past and all. You want someone to care, and you've but become fixated on Sherlock Holmes. It's perfectly plausible, you're with him everyday." I nod.

"Oh god, I have to be with him everyday." I groan.

"Not necessarily." she says. I look at her.

"What?" I ask.

"Believe me, I know how frustrating Sherlock can be. But I can't imagine living with him. Why don't you stay here?" she asks.

"Seriously?"

"Well, yeah. I mean I've got the room. Stay as long as you want, I mean it. I'd absolutely love to have you, I've been wanting a flatmate." she says. I lunge and hug her.

"Molly Hooper you're a lifesaver!" I say. She smiles and hugs back.

3RD PERSON POV

"Morning Molly." Sherlock says, oddly cheerfully, strolling into the morgue. Molly stays silent. "Beautiful day today." Nothing. "You know, I-"

SMACK.

"Why do people keep slapping me!?" he exclaims, holding his cheek.

"That girl has wanted you to love her since the day she met you and you chose to take her insecurities and use them against her. She loved you because she didn't have a dad growing up. She had a man who drank too much and beat her every night, and that was it. It's not at all surprising she became so fixated on you because you are a male figure she used to look up to and she just wanted someone to make up for the all pain she got from the LAST male in her life, and you messed all of that up!" Molly snaps. Sherlock stares.

"Molly... I..."

What does he say? She's never acted this way before.

"Sherlock, just please leave." she says. Sherlock walks out without another word.

2 WEEKS LATER

"Hello?"

"J-John?"

"Karolyn? Are you having a panic attack?"

"Yeah. Yeah I... I am."

"Where are you? Are you still at Molly's?"

"No, I... I went for a walk. I accidentally went to the place where he took me. And... I-"

"Where are you now?"

"I... I don't know! I can't tell!"

"Look at the street signs, tell me what you see."

"Uh... Kenningston. And Pinnacle."

"I'm leaving now. Just stay there."

Sherlock walks towards the street, away from Lestrade after another finished case, and stops.

Karolyn?

He sees her sitting on a bench, hunched over, shaking.

Panic attack.

He goes to walk over to her, but stops when a taxi pulls up next to her, and John gets out. He rushes over and sits next to her. She looks at him, he says something, and she hugs him. Her body starts shaking violently, and Sherlock knows that she's sobbing. John looks up, and notices Sherlock. Sherlock looks down, and turns and walks away.

A/N: Hey guys! So... I realize that this got intense pretty fast lol. My problem with stories are that I tend to make them begin kind of suddenly, but that's just because I have so much in my ind for the actually story that I just wanna get right to it. I have a TON of chapters written for this on my Google Docs, so updates shouldn't take too long (hopefully). My promise to you is that this story is eventually going to involve a LOT of Parent!lock fluff. TRUST ME. Anyways, thanks for reading!

-NTM


	2. Chapter 2: I'm Not Gonna Stop Caring

Sherlock drops his coat down on the ground, and walks towards his room. He looks around, and then- in a fit of rage- grabs a chair and throws it. He pushes over his desk, and rips the sheets off the bed. He storms out of the room, and walks into the sitting room. He grabs the gun and starts shooting at the wall.

BANG

BANG

BANG BANG

BANG BANG BANG

BANG

He suddenly gets tackled to the ground from the side.

"Get off!" He shouts, but he's on his stomach, so he can't see the attacker. He struggles and turns on his back, but he finds his wrists pinned to the ground.

"Calm down!"

He blinks out tears he didn't realize he possessed, and Karolyn becomes clear.

"Karolyn?" He says.

"You can't go shooting walls every time you get pissed off, Sherlock! One of these days Mrs. Hudson is gonna make you be the wall." She says.

"What're you doing here?" He asks in shock.

"John said you were watching us." She replies, and he sighs. "You walked away. I... I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Why did you tackle me?" He asks.

"So you didn't turn that gun on yourself, Sherlock!" She says. "I've never seen you act that way, I got scared. I didn't know what you'd do."

Sherlock just stares at her.

"You didn't do anything to yourself, did you?" She asks.

He shakes his head, and she lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm gonna let you up now, okay?"

He nods.

She lets his wrists go, and gets up. She holds a hand out to him, and he grabs it and lets her help him to his feet. They just look at each other.

"Why did you come here?" Sherlock asks.

"I wanted to talk to you." She replies. "John said you looked upset."

"I thought you were angry with me."

"I'm fuming, but I'm not gonna stop caring about you."

He just looks at her, and sits in his chair. She sits across from him on the couch.

"I'm sorry for everything, Karolyn." He says.

"I know you are." She says. "I also know that you said those things because you had to. I've known pretty much the whole time."

"Then, why-"

"I'm not mad at you Sherlock." She says. "At first, I was. But about 2 days in, I came to my senses."

"So why didn't you come back?" Sherlock asks.

She sighs.

"Because I was mad. Not at you, but at myself." She replies.

"What?" He asks.

"I was mad at myself because I felt like those things you said are true. I still feel like it. But I got angry at myself because I made you think that, because I let you see it. I was mad because I don't want you to have any reason to think badly of me, and I felt like I had already given you plenty of reasons. I'm mad at myself because I feel pathetic." She says. "I stayed away because I didn't want to make it worse."

Sherlock stares at her as she looks down. That's why she stayed away? Because she thought she made him think badly of her? That she would make him hate her?

"I didn't know you felt that way." He says, and she just nods, still looking down. He gets up, and sits down next to her on the couch. "Karolyn, I've never thought ill of you."

She looks at him, surprised.

"I never will." He says. "Ever."

She stares at him.

"But... All the crap I've put you through; my panic attacks, my depression. How could you not think shit of me?" She says.

"Because those things don't define who you are, Karolyn." He says. "You have panic attacks. You're depressed. So what? That doesn't change who you are. And you are a creative, smart, beautiful person who isn't afraid to take off for an adventure."

She stares at him, shocked. He's never been like this to her before. Not to this extent.

"Sherlock-"

"At the pool, you said you wanted me to care. You said you wanted me to be your family." He says, and she looks down.

"Yeah, well-"

"I do care, Karolyn." He says, and she looks at him with a shocked look. "I care about you, Karolyn. I care a lot. I care that you've been through a lot. I care that you were forced to grow up earlier than you should have. I care that your childhood was a nightmare. I care that you have panic attacks. I care that you're so sad, and I hate that I can't do anything. I care that you want to be part of a family, Karolyn. I care about you."

She just stares. He shifts a little uncomfortably, but looks her dead in the eye.

"I love you, Karolyn, and we are a family." He says. She immediately wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him. He hugs her tightly as she sobs into his shoulder.

"I love you too, Sherlock." She says through tears, and he smiles.

"Sherlock, no!"

"What?!"

"You're doing it wrong!"

"I am not!"

"You're messing it up!"

"Calm down!"

"NEVER TELL A PERSON WITH OCD TO CALM DOWN SHERLOCK BECAUSE MY OCD IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON AND I DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER OCD KAROLYN AND OCD KAROLYN IS SCARY SO DONT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN SHERLOCK OR I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STOP OCD KAROLYN WHEN SHE TRIES TO CLAW YOUR EYES OUT NOW GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!"

"Uh..."

Karolyn looks at John, who's standing in the doorway, as Sherlock dies of laughter behind her.

"Oh, hey John!" She says, and he sees that her and Sherlock are both covered in flour.

"Hey..." He says, slightly confused. "What's going on in here?"

She grins and points to the waffle iron.

"We're making waffles!" She says proudly, and then her grin disappears when she looks at the iron. She facepalms. "Sherlock."

"Yeah?" He says, breathing again.

"We never plugged it in." She says, and she plugs it in.

"Ha!" She says. And then she sees John staring at the flour all over... everything. "Ah... Yes. The flour... Uh... Sherlock and I got into a bit of a flour war..."

"I won." Sherlock says, and she slaps his arm.

"You did not win, you liar!" She says, and he walks away laughing. She looks at John. "So... yeah."

"He's acting like a different person." John says when Sherlock is in the bathroom, presumably taking a shower.

Karolyn grins.

"Yeah." She says. "We had talk after I came here yesterday."

"Really?" John says. "What happened?"

"Well, he loves me, for one." She replies, and John grins. "And two... I dunno. I guess saying that kinda got rid of the crap and stuff, and we've been having fun and acting like children all day."

"Good." John says with a grin. "He could use some fun."

She smiles.

"Sherlock!" She calls.

"Yeah?" He calls back.

"I'm gonna flour John real quick, okay?" She calls, and John's grin disappears.

"Alright, have fun!" He calls back. And she immediately grabs the flour bag, grabs a fistful and throws it in John's face. John yelps. "Did you do it?" Sherlock calls.

"Yeah!" She calls back chuckling.

"You should run now!" Sherlock calls back. She sees the look on John's face.

"I agree!" She shouts, and she runs in the other direction. John chases after her, and she squeals. She runs through the kitchen, through the sitting room, and dives over the couch.

"Sherlock, come help me!" John calls. Sherlock comes running out of the bathroom, and he helps John chase Karolyn back through through the kitchen.

"NO SHERLOCK HOW COULD YOU BETRAY ME?!" She screeches. John trips her, and she hits the ground. John immediately attacks her with tickles, and she screams. "NO JOHN DONT!"

She melts into a puddle of laughter, and Sherlock joins John.

"SHERHERHERHERLOCK NOHOHOO FUCK!" She screams.

"What's going on up there?!" Mrs. Hudson exclaims from downstairs.

"MRS. HUHUHUDSON HEHEHEHELP!"

Mrs. Hudson comes up the stairs, and sees Sherlock and John mercilessly tickling Karloyn.

"Boys, that's enough! Let the girl breathe!" She says. They sigh, but stop tickling her. Karolyn takes in deep breaths.

"Oh my god Mrs. Hudson I love you." She pants out, and Sherlock and John laugh.


	3. Chapter 3: A Blur

3 DAYS LATER

Karolyn walks into the cafe, and up to the counter.

"Small hot chocolate and a hot coffee with cream and 3 sugars, please." she orders.

"Is that coffee decaf?" the woman asks, and Karolyn chuckles.

"No." she replies. "Trust me, he needs the caffeine." She eyes the cookie, but only has enough for the hot chocolate and Sherlock's coffee.

"And a chocolate chip cookie." someone says from behind her, and she turns to look at the boy. "On me."

"Thank you." she says with a warm smile, and she turns back to the woman. "That''s all."

"Okay, that'll be 3 pounds."

Karolyn hands her the money, and the woman walks away. She looks at the boy as he drops a pound on the counter to pay for her cookie.

"Thanks again." she says, and he smiles.

"My pleasure." he says. "What's your name?"

"Karolyn." she replies. "And yours?"

"Spade." he says, and Karolyn smiles.

"Nice to meet you, Spade." she says.

"You too, Karolyn." he says flirtatiously, and she turns slightly red. "So, I can't help but notice you're American." Karolyn chuckles.

"What gave it away?" she asks jokingly, and he smiles. His phone beeps. He takes a look at it, and he groans.

"I've got to go." he says. "Can i have your number?"

She smiles.

****  
3 WEEKS LATER

Karolyn scrolls through Facebook on her laptop.

"Karolyn?"

"Yeah?"

"Is this shirt alright?"

She looks at him across the room, but he's a blur, along with the rest of the room.

Dammit. She thinks. Can't he just come over here?

"Uh..." she says. If he knows she can't see him, he'll make her get glasses.

"Well?" he asks. She sighs, knowing she has to admit defeat.

"Sherlock, I can't see you."

"What?" he asks.

"You're too far away, you're blurry."

"Karolyn, I'm 6 feet in front of you."

"I know, but... I can't see you."

He sighs, and walks up to her, but stops about 4 feet in front of her.

"Better?"

No.

"Yes." she lies.

"Okay, what do you think?" he asks, fully aware that she's lying to him. "Like the pattern?"

"Yeah!" she says. "I love the pattern!"

"Karolyn, it's solid blue." he says, and she groans. He holds up 2 fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

She squints.

"Four?" she says, and he sighs. "I'm wrong, aren't I?" she asks, and he nods.

"Is this why you've been bumping into everything lately?" he asks, and she nods. "You need glasses, Karolyn."

She sighs.

"I don't want glasses." she says. "They're a pain."

"Karolyn, you need to be able to see." he tells her, and she groans.

"Fine." she says, and he smiles.

Karolyn stares out the window of the cab. Not that she can see anything out of it.

She starts thinking about that day. The day it all started. The day she met him.

 _ **"Sherlock! You can't just walk around telling people their marriages are failing!"**_

 _ **"She should have known."**_

 _ **"Sherlock, I swear to-"**_

 _ **"Seriously, guys. I don't want any trouble."**_

 _ **Sherlock and John look over at the parking lot of a cafe. They see 4 teenaged boys crowding around a teenaged girl with flaming red hair.**_

 _ **"C'mon, freak!" One of them says. "Show us what you got."**_

 _ **"You have the brains, freak, but you don't have the power."**_

 _ **"Bite me!" the girl snaps. She tries to escape, but she can't. "I'm not in the mood for this, now get out of my way!"**_

 _ **"Oh, we haven't even started yet." one says.**_

 _ **"Scared, Karolyn?" says another.**_

 _ **"Of course, she's scared, Robert! She knows she's gonna lose!"**_

 _ **"There's 4 of us, and 1 of her."**_

 _ **"Well, how about you go get a couple more guys?" she says. "That way, it's an even fight."**_

 _ **"You talk big, freak."**_

 _ **"Sherlock, we should do something, before she gets hurt." John says.**_

 _ **"Just wait, John."**_

 _ **"Yeah, big words for a weak girl."**_

 _ **"I'm stronger than you think." she snaps.**_

 _ **"Oh, really?" one of the boys says.**_

 _ **"Is that why you never fought your dad?" Robert says.**_

 _ **The girl clenches her fists.**_

 _ **"Yeah, he beat you because he knew you'd lose." he says.**_

 _ **She pounces, and punches him in the face. He falls back and hits the ground, and the other 3 grab her. They hold her arms so she can't move, and Robert stands up.**_

 _ **"Sherlock..."**_

 _ **He slams her in the gut with his fist, and she grunts, doubling over and falling to her knees, still being held by the arms.**_

 _ **Sherlock takes off running towards the scene.**_

 _ **Robert kicks her in the gut, and she shouts out in pain.**_

 _ **Sherlock runs over.**_

 _ **"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" he yells. They let her go and run away. She lays face down on the ground, panting. John and him kneel next to her.**_

 _ **"Are you alright?" John asks, and she just coughs. "It's alright, I'm a Doctor."**_

 _ **"I'm fine." she pants. "They just knocked the wind out of me."**_

 _ **"What's your name?" Sherlock asks.**_

 _ **"Karolyn." She replies.**_

 _ **"Is there anyone you want me to call, Karolyn?" John asks, and she nods.**_

 _ **"My... Aunt." she says.**_

 _ **"Where's your phone?"**_

 _ **"My bag." She says. John sees a bag a few feet away. He gets up and goes over to it.**_

 _ **"Are you sure you're alright?" Sherlock asks, and she nods. She groans as she sits up, and she looks at him.**_

 _ **"I'm fine." she says, sounding pained. "Who are you guys?"**_

 _ **"Well, that's my friend, Dr. John Watson." he replies.**_

 _ **"And you are?"**_

 _ **"Sherlock Holmes."**_

The truth of that story is that Karolyn lied. She doesn't have an aunt in London. She had a foster mom. They called her, and she came and brought Karolyn home.

About 2 or 3 weeks later, Sherlock was at a public crime scene, helping Lestrade.

"Sherlock." Lestrade said quietly, and he looked at him. "There's a girl staring at you." Sherlock followed Lestrade's eyes, and saw the girl. She had flaming red hair, and she looked familiar. A police officer walked over to her, and asked her something. She spoke for a minute motioning to Sherlock. The officer said something, then she said something back. He nodded, and she walked off. The officer approached Sherlock.

 ** _"What was that all about?" Lestrade asked._**

 ** _"She asked me to tell you to meet her in Kennin Cafe."_**

 ** _"Why?" Sherlock asked, and he shrugged._**

 ** _"Said she had something to tell you."_**

So when Sherlock finished, he went to the cafe. He sat across from her.

 ** _"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked, getting straight to the point._**

 ** _She gave him a look._**

 ** _"Uh... I'm Karolyn."_**

 ** _That's when it clicked._**

 ** _"You're the girl from the parking lot." he realized, and she smiled, nodding._**

 ** _"That's me." she said. "Sorry if I seemed so shady. It's just that I realized I had never thanked you or Dr. Watson, so I wanted to do that."_**

Sherlock ended up staying there and chatting with her for nearly 3 hours. He found out she's smart. Like, wicked smart. That's how she started working with him. He texted her on a few cases, then more. Then more. Then more. Eventually, he told her that she should move into Baker Street, so he wouldn't have to waste time texting her. Her foster mom had met Sherlock multiple times before, and she liked him. So, she agreed.

That's how it started. He was saving her from day one.

Karolyn looks over at Sherlock. He looks at her, and she smiles. He returns it before she looks back out the window.

"Okay Karolyn, just pick some frames and they'll be ready in 2 days."

The eye doctor walks off, and Karolyn looks at her options.

"How about these?" she asks Sherlock.

"Are you asking for my honest opinion?" he says, and she nods. "No."

She takes them off and grabs another pair. She turns to him, an expectant look on her face. He shakes his head again.

"Closer but no." he says. "They're just not you."

She grabs a third pair.

"Close, but... No." he says. He spots a pair, and smiles. He takes the corners of frames she's wearing and takes them off of her face. He grabs the other frames. "Try these." he says, putting them on, her face. He smiles when he pulls his hands away. "Take a look."

Karolyn looks in the mirror, and she grins.

"Oh my god! I love them!"

The doctor comes back out.

"Are you choosing those, Karolyn?" he asks, and she nods. "Alright, now comes the not-so fun part."

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"We always do the dilation last." he replies, and Karolyn groans.

"You go get your eyes done," Sherlock says. "and I'll stop by the shop down the road and pick you up some sunglasses, alright?" She sighs, but nods.


	4. Chapter 4: Pondering The Repercussions

"Alright Karolyn, your eyes should be back to normal in 5-6 hours."

Karolyn nods, using her hands to shield her eyes from the light in the room.

"Holmes to the rescue." Sherlock says, walking in the room, holding up a pair of sunglasses. He moved her hands off of her face, and slips them over her eyes.

"Thanks, Sherlock." she says, adjusting them. "What do we do about dinner if I can't see?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're meeting John and Mary, remember?" she says, and he smiles.

"I've got it taken care of."

"This is awesome, Sherlock!" Karolyn exclaims, adjusting her sunglasses. Sherlock got a reservation for 4 at a restaurant that is known for having dim lighting.

"You should still keep the glasses on, though." he says.

"I know. But it still hurts less this way." she says.

"That's why I did it." he tells her with a smile.

"What do you think John and Mary will say once I get my frames?" Karolyn asks.

"That they like them, probably." Sherlock replies. He spots John and Mary across the restaurant. "Come on." he says, taking her hand and leading her through the dim restaurant.

John and Mary grin when they see Sherlock and Karolyn coming towards them.

"How did it go?" Mary asks.

"Well, I'm wearing sunglasses because they dilated my eyes." Karolyn replies. "But other than the stinging right now, it went well."

"She picked out some frames." Sherlock adds.

"I took a picture, do you want see them?" she asks.

"Of course! Let's seem them!" John says. Karolyn takes out her phone and pulls up the picture.

"Oh, they're nice Karolyn!" Mary says with a grin.

"Thanks." she says. "You'll get the full idea of it once I get them."

"So, let's eat, shall we?" Sherlock says.

3 DAYS LATER

Karolyn adjusts her glasses as she texts her Aunt back. Her aunt travels the world, and she had these crazy fancy parties. She's like a traveling version of a female Jay Gatsby. ( ** _bold= Karolyn_** **)**

 ** _I don't know..._**

 _Oh, please. You must be tired of doing nothing but solving murders._

 ** _I'll never get tired of it and that's not the only thing I do._**

 _You must come!_

Her Aunt Helen didn't want to take her in while she was put in social services.

She sighs.

 ** _I'll be there. Can I bring someone with me?_**

 _Bring as many people as you'd like!_

She sighs.

"Sherlock!" she calls.

"Yes?"

"Can you come in here for a moment, please?"

He walks into her room.

"What's going on?" he asks when he sees her expression.

"My Aunt invited me to some big party and I don't wanna go alone." She says.

"You have an Aunt?" Sherlock asks, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, but she didn't want me." she replies, knowing he's wondering why she didn't go with her. He doesn't continue.

"And she wants you to come to her party?" He asks, and she nods.

"Will you go with me?" she asks. Sherlock smiles.

"So, you need a dress."

"Yeah."

"I'm on my way."

Molly hangs up the phone, making Karolyn laugh.

After trying on about 7 dresses, Molly finally helped Karolyn find the perfect dress.

When Karolyn walks back into the flat, she sees Sherlock lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, looking perplexed.

"Sherlock?" she asks.

"Hmm?"

"You okay?"

He sighs.

"I'm pondering the repercussions of doing something." he replies.

"Well, can I help?" she asks, and he shakes his head. "Okay, well... Maybe you should think differently."

He looks at her.

"What?"

"Think differently." she repeats. "Sometimes, you can't think about the repercussions of the consequences. If that's all you do, you're never gonna take action. Sometimes you just have to go for it, ya know? Don't psyche yourself out."

He gives her a small smile.

"It's different." He says. "It's a life changing move, for both people involved. And the other person might not want to take part in it."

She gives him a look.

"Are you planning a murder or something?" she asks, and he chuckles. He sits up.

"Sit." he says. "I wanna talk to you."

"What's this all about?" she asks, taking a seat next to him.

"I was in the shop today, when I saw Mrs. Pinn." he says.

"The one we helped with the Homicidal In-Laws Case?" she asks, and he nods.

"She asked me where my daughter was, assuming you were my daughter. She said 'Karolyn must enjoy having a father like you; she must never be bored'."

"I'm sorry if that bothered you, Sherlock." she says, knowing he's still new at the whole family thing.

"It didn't bother me at all, Karolyn." he says. "But it got me thinking."

"About what?" she says. He shifts.

"I want to adopt you, Karolyn." he says.

Karolyn's jaw hits the ground.

"You...what?"

"I want to adopt you." he repeats. She just stares at him.

"You…"

She stands up from the couch, her right hand by her face. She's facing away from him, so he can't see her face. He stands.

"I understand if you don't want me to-"

"It's not that." she says, facing him, and he sees she's crying. "I'm just surprised." She smiles through her tears. "This is the best day of my life." She throws her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you." she whispers.

2 WEEKS LATER

"Holmes."

"Holmes."

"Holmes!"

Karolyn snaps out of her trance and looks up from her drink.

"Huh?"

"Yeesh, Holmes." Spade says with a smile. "Something's taking up a lot of space in that big brain of yours." She smiles slightly.

"Sorry." she says. "Just thinking."

"Is everything okay?" he asks, and she shrugs. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Well, I have this thing with my Aunt I have to go to, and there's a lot of tension with her, so I'm just nervous." she replies.

"Is Sherlock going with you?" he asks and she nods. "Does he know about this tension?"

"Kinda." she replies. "I didn't really wanna go into details." He nods. She blinks a few times when the contact lens in her right eye gets a little dry.

"Maybe you should talk to him about it." he says, and she nods. He stands up, putting the money for the coffees down on the table. "C'mon." he says, holding a hand out to her. "There's something I wanna show you."

It's dark now, and it's nearly Christmas; in about 3 weeks. Spade leads Karolyn down a sidewalk, his hands over her eyes.

"Spade, would you please tell me where you're taking me?" she says.

"Hang on, we're nearly there." he tells her. "Okay, stop." He turns her a bit, and then uncovers her eyes. She sees a dark street, only lit by the dim shop lights.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" she asks.

"Just hold on." he says. Suddenly, the street springs to life with beautiful Christmas lights.

"Oh my god!" she exclaims. "Spade!" She turns to him, and he cheekily grins.

"See?"

She chuckles.

"You're such a dork." she says, but she hugs him.

"Sherlock-"

"She said she was going to the coffee shop, what's taking her so long?"

"She's probably just taking her time, Sherlock."

Mary and John are at the flat, and Sherlock is freaking out.

"Why hasn't she come back yet?"

"Ah, here she comes!" Mary says from the window. "Oh my god."

"What?" Sherlock says, stumbling over the stuff on the floor to get to the other window. He sees Karolyn standing outside with a boy.

Spade smiles at Karolyn when they stop outside the flat.

"You didn't have to walk me home, Spade." she tells him.

"I know." he says. "I wanted to."

"Well, thanks." she says. "I had a great time."

"Me too." he says.

"Do you know who that is?" John asks, looking out the window with Sherlock, who shakes his head.

"Do you think she likes him?" Sherlock asks Mary.

"Hmm…" she says.

Spade leans in and gently places his lips on Karolyn's. She kisses him back, butterflies going rampant in her stomach.

"Oh my god!" Mary squeals, and Sherlock pales.

Spade pulls away and smiles at her.

"See you soon." he says.

"See you."

He walks off down the street.

"Wait for it…" Mary says.

Once Spade is gone, Karolyn's grin creeps onto her face. She squeals and starts doing a little happy dance (more like happy flail), and then she just stands there, grinning like an idiot.

"She definitely likes him." Mary informs the Boys, who both look at her, looking horrified.


	5. Chapter 5: Classic

Karolyn takes a deep breath and walks up to the door.

The front door opens downstairs.

"I'm home!" Karolyn's voice calls.

"Up here!" Sherlock calls back. She walks up the steps and smiles at the sight at John and Mary.

"Hi guys!" she says, hugging John, then Mary. She pulls away. "I'm gonna go change into my pajamas; be right back." She walks off to her bedroom and shuts the door.

"Oh, lord." Sherlock says, sitting in his chair.

"Sherlock, don't freak out." Mary says.

"I'm not freaking out." he says, but her and John both know that he's lying.

"She's nearly 15, Sherlock, and she's one of the best people I know, and I know you think so too." John says. "It was only a matter of time before boys began to notice." Sherlock groans.

Karolyn walks into the lounge in her pajamas and is cleaning her glasses on her t-shirt. She puts them on and sits down on the couch.

"Uh… I'm actually glad you guys are all here." she says. "Something really weird has been happening lately."

"Weird?" Mary asks. "Weird how?"

"Weird… like… physically. With me." she replies.

"What's wrong?" John asks.

"Well… it's kinda hard for me to say."

"It's alright, Karolyn, take your time." Sherlock tells her and she nods.

"I… uh… I think my panic attacks are getting worse." she admits. "They're starting up again."

When Karolyn first moved into Baker Street, all three of them had been lounging around the flat, watching the telly, when a program came on. A character on the program began having an intense panic attack, and Karolyn tensed and winced at every gasp for air.

 _"_ _Karolyn?" John asked when he saw how uncomfortable she looked. Sherlock looked at her then back at the telly, carelessly, but then snapped his gaze back towards the trembling girl on the sofa next to him._

 _"Are you alright?" he asked._

 _"Just…"_

 _The woman began sobbing and Karolyn put her head in her hands, covering her ears._

 _"Can you turn it off?" she begged. "Please?"_

 _John immediately jumped to his feet and shut off. Karolyn's breathing became shallow, and she tried to slow it before either of the noticed, but both of them already had._

 _"Are you alright?" he asked, repeating Sherlock's previous question, who was just staring, uselessly, in shock at the sight of the normally upbeat girl that was curling into herself._

 _"Tri-"_

 _She tried to speak, but the lump in her throat made it nearly impossible._

 _"Trigger." she managed to choke out, and John understood immediately._

 _"Are you having a panic attack?" he asked, and Sherlock cast a surprised gaze at him, then back down at Karolyn, awaiting her response. She nodded so slightly, that John wasn't sure if it was a nod or a violent tremble. Feeling as though he may not have seen it, she nodded again, a bit more furiously this time. He kneeled down in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Breathe, Karolyn. The key is to breathe."_

That was when Sherlock and John learned of Karolyn's panic attacks. Originally, she had hoped she would be able to hide them, but eventually she realized that her plan would inevitably fail.

"They had stopped?" Mary asks, and Karolyn shakes her head.

"No, they never stopped, just… became less frequent." she replies. "Only happened when I was really stressed or really angry or really confused. Now…"

"Now…?" Sherlock probes, and she sighs.

"Now they're back to happening for no reason." she finishes, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Sherlock sighs, standing. "I'm sorry."

"What?" he asks, looking down at her.

"I said I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Why?"

"You and I both know how I am when I have a panic attack." she replies, and suddenly Sherlock understands.

"That's why you do it."

"Do what?" John asks.

"When the topic of Karolyn's anxiety comes up around you, just you, does she ever apologize afterwards?" Sherlock asks, looking at him.

"No, why?"

"Have you ever noticed that she only apologizes about her anxiety when _I'm_ around?"

Karolyn continues avoiding all eyes.

"I have, actually."

"Why?" He asks, and John thinks.

"Explain." He tells Sherlock.

"She apologizes because she thinks that her panic attacks make her 'useless'." he explains, putting air-quotes around the last word. Mary, feeling that this seems very private, stands up.

"I'm going to go and see if Mrs. Hudson has any biscuits." she says, and she walks down the stairs. John and Sherlock both look at Karolyn.

"Do you really believe that?" John asks. She shifts uncomfortably, still staring at the ground. "Your anxiety doesn't make you useless, Karolyn; nothing does, because you're not useless."

Sherlock sits down on the coffee table, right in front of her.

"Fear is wisdom in the face of danger." he says. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"He's right, Karolyn." he says. "You're anything but useless." She continues to avoid looking at them. "I dunno where you concocted that idea from, but-"

"I didn't concoct it." she says finally. "My… my dad did." Sherlock and John stay silent. Karolyn barely talks about her father, if ever. "When he was… doing what he would do… he used to yell. He would… he would say these things; these… these awful things. He would call me these terrible things. And I couldn't stop him. Try as I might, I could never stop him. If I tried to fight back, he'd just hurt me more. It was always the same. He told me how useless I am. He told me how pathetic and disgusting and disgraceful I am. I was the absolute bane of his existence." She sniffs, wiping a few tears.

"But none of what he said is true, Karolyn." John tells her, tearing slightly himself. "It never was."

Karolyn chuckles, thinking what he says is ridiculous.

"That's what they all say." she says. "Every last doctor, therapist, foster parent, social worker; they all say the same thing. But I never believe them. I still don't. And I don't believe you, John. I _really_ want to, but I don't. I just… I _can't_."

"Why not?" Sherlock asks quietly.

"It's hard-wired in my brain to believe every single thing he said." she replies. "Do you know how hard it is to just ignore that kind of abuse? Eventually, I gave up, and I had to believe him. It's not easy to just suddenly go against years of that."

Sherlock sighs.

"You've got to try, Karolyn." he tells her. "Believing things like that will cause pain; a kind of pain that's extremely difficult to deal with." Karolyn looks up at them for the first time.

"I can't do it alone."

"You won't have to." he says.

"We're here for you, love." John says, and she looks up at him.

"I know."

****  
2 DAYS LATER

"I'll find your sister, Clara."

The client, Clara, nods tearfully, and her friend, Dave, nods along with her. Sherlock hears the door open and close downstairs, and Karolyn walks into the flat.

"Sherlock, I'm…" She sees Clara and Dave. "Damn. Sorry."

"For what?" Sherlock asks.

"I'm interrupting, aren't I?"

"No, we've just finished." Clara says, and Sherlock notices Dave staring at Karolyn. "It's alright. I'm Clara." She puts a hand out, and Karolyn shakes it.

"Karolyn."

"I know." Clara says, sounding excited. "I've seen you in the papers. You're a topic of interest, in my house."

"Am I?"

"Dave over here finds you fascinating." Clara says, and Dave smiles slightly, but it's a futile attempt to mask a smirk.

"I was a child prodigy, myself." he says, standing up.

"I'm hardly a prodigy." she says, and Dave walks up, standing very close to her. She looks up at him, a slightly confused look on her face.

"Give yourself some credit, love." he says. She mentally facepalms when she notices the… tented front of his pants.

"Sherlock, don't we have to get going?" she asks, not breaking eye contact with the man in front of her.

"What?" Sherlock asks.

"We have to meet Lestrade, remember?" she says, looking at him and giving him a look. He catches on.

"Ah, yes, we do."

"Lestrade?" Clara asks, and Karolyn walks past Dave, walking over to the desk.

"Detective Inspector down at Scotland Yard." she explains. She pulls open the drawer.

"Oh, are you solving another murder?" Clara asks excitedly.

"Hardly." Karolyn replies.

"Well, what've you got? If you don't mind me asking."

Karolyn pulls out her gun, holding it up so they see it, and she makes eye contact with Dave.

"Pedophile crackdown." she says. "Kicking some perverted ass." She loads a magazine into the gun, and clicks it into place. "Lovely meeting you, Dave."

He turns white as a sheet and runs out of the flat, a confused Clara hot on his heels. When they're gone, Karolyn rolls her eyes.

"Moron."

She pulls the drawer open again, throwing the gun into it, then slams it shut.

"Good thing, too." she says. "I was counting on his idiocy to prevent him from recognizing a blank magazine." Sherlock just stares in shock, and she looks at him. "What, did you actually think I'd show him a loaded gun? I'm not an idiot, Sherlock. If it isn't loaded, it isn't a threat."

Sherlock chuckles.

"Brilliant." he says, and she smiles.

"Thanks." she says. "Uh… I meant to talk to you."

"About?" he asks, taking a seat in his chair.

"The dinner party this weekend."

"Ah, the one for your estranged Aunt, no?"

"She's not estranged, Sherlock, just… there was a lot of tension when she told the social workers she didn't want to take me in."

"They asked her?" he asks, shocked, looking at her.

"Yes."

"And she flat-out said no?"

"Yes." She replies. "I thought you knew this already."

"I thought she just didn't regard the fact you were in the system, I never knew she neglected to care altogether."

"It's fine, Sherlock."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it is." She says flatly. "It's just awkward, but I'm not angry."

"Why not?"

"I have my reasons."

"Which are?"

"I would never have met you." she replies, and he doesn't say anything. "If she had taken me in, I would be living in Yorkshire, and I wouldn't have been living in London, so you never would've saved me, and I never would've met you."

"Yes, but you don't wish things were different?" he asks, curiously.

"Nope."

"Ever?"

She thinks a moment.

"Sometimes I wish my mom was still alive." she admits. "But, besides that, I wouldn't change anything."

"Nothing?"

"Not a thing." she replies firmly, and they smile slightly at each other.

"Anyways, what did you want to talk about with the party?"

"Well, have you got a tux?"

"I've a suit."

"You need a tux, Sherlock, it's gonna be fancy as hell. My Aunt is like… a traveling, female Jay Gatsby."

"Who?"

Karolyn gives him a look.

"Jay Gatsby? From 'The Great Gatsby'?"

"'The Great Gatsby'?"

"The… book? By F. Scott Fitzgerald?"

He shrugs.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me you never read 'The Great Gatsby'?"

"Read it? I've never even heard of it."

"But you _must_ have! It's a classic!"

"I've maybe heard of it before; probably deleted it."

"Right." she says. "Can't have classic literature taking up space in that mind palace of yours, eh?"

"So I need a tux?" he asks, changing the subject back to the previous conversation.

"Definitely."

"Have you got a dress?" he asks, and she nods.

"Molly and I went shopping a little while back."

"Can I see it?"

"You'll see it when we go to the party." she replies, and Sherlock sighs. "You'll need a tie."

"I've got a tie."

"Tie clip?"

He closes his mouth, knowing that's the one thing he doesn't have.

"I… uh…"

"You're lucky I'm good, Sherlock." she says, taking a box from her bag and throwing it to him. He looks at the clip inside. "I wasn't sure if you would want a plain one or not, but this one was really nice, so… I figured… why not?" He stares at it. "It doesn't have too much of a design, so it's not that bad, whether you wanted plain or designed, either way." He looks at her. "I kept the receipt, just in case you wanna exchange it. I figured it was the least I could do, considering you're letting me drag you along to this thing. I know it's not super special, but-"

She gets cut off by a hug.

"It's perfect, Karolyn." He says. "Thank you." She smiles and hugs him back.

"My pleasure." she says, and he pulls away.

"What will you do with your hair?" He asks, and she shrugs.

"Dunno." she replies. "Maybe just straighten it."

"I've already spoken with Mary, she'll take you to get it done on Saturday morning." he tells her, and she smiles.

"Thanks."

"I assume you'll be getting your nails done?"

Karolyn raises her eyebrows.

"I will."

"Toes too?"

"Don't need to."

"Why not?"

"Closed-toe shoes."

"Ah."

"What is this sudden interest in my appearance?" she asks.

"Oh, nothing."

"Sherlock." she warns, and he sighs.

"I've just… I've never seen you in party-wear." he says.

"And?"

"And… I can't wait to see how great you'll look." he replies, and her eyes widen ever so slightly.

"Oh." she says.

"I apologize if that seems a bit odd."

"No, no, not at all." she says. "I get it. I'm not exactly known for putting much effort into how I look. It'll be nice to see it, for a change. Change can be fun."

"I suppose." he says, and she smiles.

"We'll do a big reveal, I promise." she tells him, and he grins.


End file.
